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Highway hypnosis is a mental state in which the person can drive an automobile great distances, responding to external events in the expected manner, with no recollection of having consciously done so. In this state the driver's conscious mind is apparently fully focused elsewhere, with seemingly direct processing of the masses of information needed to drive safely. 'Highway Hypnosis' is just one manifestation of a relatively commonplace experience, where the conscious and subconscious minds appear to concentrate on different things; workers performing simple and repetitive tasks and people deprived of sleep are likely to experience similar symptoms.

In some parts of the Southern United States, the phenomenon is called white-line fever, in reference to the white lines painted on asphalt.

While highway hypnosis may be a common experience, common sense suggests that for maximum safety when driving the full weight of consciousness be brought to bear on the task at hand.
The addition of penalty switches on cruise controls could help this.